editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Peter OverbyThu, 25 Aug 2016 20:42:27 +0000Peter Overbyhttp://wfae.org
Peter OverbyCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Clinton Foundation To Adjust Its Model If Hillary Is Elected Presidenthttp://wfae.org/post/clinton-foundation-adjust-its-model-if-hillary-elected-president
100687 as http://wfae.orgWed, 24 Aug 2016 09:02:00 +0000Clinton Foundation To Adjust Its Model If Hillary Is Elected PresidentPeter OverbyThe Clinton Foundation is working now to "spin off" or "find partners" for many of its programs, including all international activities and programs funded by foreign and corporate donors, the head of the Clinton Foundation told NPR's Peter Overby. The "unraveling," which would be an attempt to prevent conflicts, would go into effect if Hillary Clinton is elected president.It will take time to make the changes to each of the foundation's affected programs, said Clinton Foundation President Donna Shalala. "This kind of unraveling has to be done with a scalpel so that we just do not hurt people, and do not interrupt the very good work that's being done," she said.Many of the foundation's programs would become separate non-governmental organizations "without us participating in the governance obviously," Shalala said. Partner organizations, she said, would also "continue the work that was started by the Clinton Foundation."Founded by President Bill Clinton, the foundation has become aClinton Foundation To Drastically Shrink If Hillary Clinton Is Electedhttp://wfae.org/post/clinton-foundation-drastically-shrink-if-hillary-clinton-elected
100660 as http://wfae.orgTue, 23 Aug 2016 21:37:00 +0000Clinton Foundation To Drastically Shrink If Hillary Clinton Is ElectedPeter OverbyHillary Clinton and Donald Trump both had a second month of strong fundraising in July, the month that they claimed their parties' nominations.In monthly reports filed Saturday night with the Federal Election Commission, Trump reported raising $36.7 million, his best month of the campaign. The total includes $2 million he contributed in a matching contributions drive.Hillary For America reported receipts of $52.3 million, more than in any previous month, including her first White House run in 2008. Her campaign has $58.5 million in cash-on-hand, almost exactly $20 million more than Trump.The campaign claimed $103 million on hand for itself and two joint fundraising committees, the Hillary Victory Fund and Hillary Action Fund. The joint committees can use higher contribution limits; contributions are distributed among the campaign and national and state Democratic committees. But the $103 million figure isn't official; the joint committees don't file reports again until Oct. 15.Donald JMoney Race Accelerates For Hillary Clinton And Donald Trumphttp://wfae.org/post/money-race-accelerates-hillary-clinton-and-donald-trump
100524 as http://wfae.orgSun, 21 Aug 2016 12:10:00 +0000Money Race Accelerates For Hillary Clinton And Donald TrumpPeter OverbyFour years after Charles and David Koch's political network opened its bank accounts to promote Republican nominee Mitt Romney, it's now spending millions to save the Republicans' Senate majority from their presidential candidate.This year's Senate ads will focus on issues involving the candidates, not national issues, said James Davis, spokesman for Freedom Partners Action Fund, a superPAC that is doing most of the network's TV ads.Most of the ads deal with "cronyism and corporate welfare, and/or spending and government over-regulation," Davis told NPR in an interview. "What we see is that there's not a national issue per se that is mobilizing voters or that voters are encouraged or discouraged about."This strategy marks a reversal from 2012, when Koch ads hammered at Obamacare and other Washington controversies. The network spent $78 million on general-election presidential advertising, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.The Koch networkKoch Network Building A Senate Wall Against Trumphttp://wfae.org/post/koch-network-building-senate-wall-against-trump
100437 as http://wfae.orgFri, 19 Aug 2016 15:26:00 +0000Koch Network Building A Senate Wall Against TrumpPeter OverbyCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Conservative Groups Redirect Support From Trump To Endangered Republicanshttp://wfae.org/post/conservative-groups-redirect-support-trump-endangered-republicans
100382 as http://wfae.orgThu, 18 Aug 2016 20:28:00 +0000Conservative Groups Redirect Support From Trump To Endangered RepublicansPeter OverbyBill and Hillary Clinton moved into the White House in 1993 as a first couple of modest means. If they return in January, it will be as millionaires.Forbes estimates of their wealth range at $50 million; the Clintons got there through hard work, while also benefiting from their fame and their friendships.What they seem not to have done, contrary to Internet theories, is break any laws."The Clintons have always been very careful to walk about two inches inside the line," said Michael Johnston, a professor emeritus at Colgate University who is researching public perceptions of legal and illegal corruption.He said the wealthy have usually dominated American politics, and the system enables successful politicians to move up. "Money is very, very familiar [in presidential politics] and so are the people who have it," he said.The Clintons built their wealth in two stages: first in Arkansas, and then on the East Coast after Bill's presidency ended.ArkansasAs attorney general and then governorThe Clintons Wrote The Book On How Politicians Climb Out Of Middle Classhttp://wfae.org/post/clintons-wrote-book-how-politicians-climb-out-middle-class
100273 as http://wfae.orgWed, 17 Aug 2016 10:00:00 +0000The Clintons Wrote The Book On How Politicians Climb Out Of Middle ClassPeter OverbyThis post was updated at 5:10 PMHillary and Bill Clinton paid $3.2 million in federal income tax last year, a rate of 34.2 percent. Their 2015 return was released today by the Clinton campaign, almost five months after they signed it for filing.The Clintons overpaid the Treasury and got a refund of more than $1 million.The couple's income plunged last year. Adjusted gross income for 2015 was $10.6 million, compared with $27.9 million for the previous year. Charitable contributions accounted for 9.8 percent of their adjusted gross income.Clinton is releasing the returns for two reasons: transparency and the opportunity to bash Donald Trump. The Republican nominee has refused to make his 2015 tax data public."Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises," said Jennifer Palmieri, communications director for the Clinton campaign.Trump and his lawyer have said the IRS is auditing his returns, so he can't or won't release them, although there is noIn An Effort To Pressure Trump, Clinton Releases 2015 Tax Returnshttp://wfae.org/post/effort-pressure-trump-clinton-releases-tax-rate
100010 as http://wfae.orgFri, 12 Aug 2016 16:33:00 +0000In An Effort To Pressure Trump, Clinton Releases 2015 Tax ReturnsPeter OverbyAs President Obama settles in for his summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Donald Trump will be just 14 miles across the water at a Cape Cod mansion, raising money for his campaign.The reception, and another one on Nantucket, will help launch an intense month of soliciting by Trump: 21 events in 31 days, according to a calendar of the Republican National Committee. The campaign said Trump raised a record $80 million last month for the campaign committee and Republican National Committee, just $10 million short of Hillary Clinton's operation (Official reports are due Aug. 20). For the first time, Trump's fundraising machine seems to be in high gear.But the ambitious August fundraising schedule begins amid rubble left by Trump's latest rhetorical blunders. He attacked the parents of a Muslim U.S. Army officer who was killed in Iraq, claimed to have seen a controversial video that didn't exist, tried to joke about a Purple Heart medal given to him by a combat veteran, and mocked theTrump Launches Fundraising Blitz As GOP Donors Wonder Whether He Can Winhttp://wfae.org/post/trump-launches-fundraising-blitz-gop-donors-wonder-whether-he-can-win
99653 as http://wfae.orgSat, 06 Aug 2016 14:49:00 +0000Trump Launches Fundraising Blitz As GOP Donors Wonder Whether He Can WinPeter OverbyEven before Hillary Clinton chose him as her vice presidential running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was on TV, explaining how he had been completely open about gifts and free travel he had accepted between 2006 and 2010 as the state's governor."The key was disclosure," he said on MSNBC, "and nobody's ever raised a concern that anybody who contributed, whether a campaign contributor or a gift giver, ever got anything for it."Kaine was referring to more than $160,000 in gifts and trips – from basketball tickets to a trip to the Caribbean — which he accepted as governor-elect and governor. All of it was properly reported under state disclosure laws, but in this election, when liberals and conservatives alike are declaring "the system is rigged," disclosure may no longer be the key.For Democrats, here's the problem: They have treated this as a question of complying with Virginia's famously weak disclosure laws, which Kaine did. But a ferocious contest for the White House is no place forBasketball Tickets, Caribbean Travel. Is Disclosure Enough For Kaine's Gifts?http://wfae.org/post/basketball-tickets-caribbean-travel-disclosure-enough-kaines-gifts
99436 as http://wfae.orgWed, 03 Aug 2016 12:31:00 +0000Basketball Tickets, Caribbean Travel. Is Disclosure Enough For Kaine's Gifts?Peter OverbyCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Tim Kaine Suffers Backlash Over Acceptance Of Political Giftshttp://wfae.org/post/tim-kaine-suffers-backlash-over-acceptance-political-gifts
99388 as http://wfae.orgTue, 02 Aug 2016 20:32:00 +0000Tim Kaine Suffers Backlash Over Acceptance Of Political Giftshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNEIQ8olnro Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, delivering a speech that lays out her plan to address terrorist threats and create jobs.NPR's politics team annotated Clinton's speech below. Portions commented on are highlighted, followed by analysis, context and fact check in italics.(Editor's note: You can read our fact check of Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention last week here.)Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you all so so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you for that amazing welcome. Thank you all for the great convention that we've had.And Chelsea, thank you.I'm so proud to be your mother and so proud of the woman you've become.Thank you for bringing Marc into our family, and Charlotte and Aidan into the world.And Bill, that conversation we started in the law library 45 years ago, it is still going strong.You know, that conversation hasFACT CHECK: Hillary Clinton's Speech To The Democratic Convention, Annotatedhttp://wfae.org/post/fact-check-hillary-clintons-speech-democratic-convention-annotated
99134 as http://wfae.orgFri, 29 Jul 2016 03:46:00 +0000FACT CHECK: Hillary Clinton's Speech To The Democratic Convention, AnnotatedPeter OverbyDonald Trump's presidential fundraising produced its first strong numbers for a big-budget fall campaign last month, but the financial powerhouse backing Hillary Clinton continued to hold a strong lead.Team Clinton outraised Team Trump $146.3 million to $81.1 million. Cash-on-hand totals were also lopsided: $139.2 million to $61.4 million. These totals include activity by the candidate committees, national party committees, joint fundraising committees and supporting superPACs.The mandatory monthly reports were filed last night at the Federal Election Commission.Trump's numbers show a dramatic jump from May. His campaign committee finished that month with $1.3 million in the bank. On June 30 it had $20.2 million.The reports also showed that Trump fulfilled his pledge to cancel campaign loans worth $47.5 million. He lent the money to underwrite most of his primary campaign. He and his aides said for months he wouldn't seek repayment.The reports from the Clinton committees put her inClinton's Fundraising Outpaces Trump's As The General Election Season Beginshttp://wfae.org/post/clintons-fundraising-outpaces-trumps-general-election-season-begins
98634 as http://wfae.orgThu, 21 Jul 2016 14:46:00 +0000Clinton's Fundraising Outpaces Trump's As The General Election Season BeginsPeter OverbyDonald Trump predicted his June fundraising would look good – especially compared to an anemic May, which he finished with just $1.3 million on hand. And June is looking better, bolstered by the first disclosure filings Friday night from two new joint fundraising committees.Trump Victory reported raising $25.7 million between late May and June 30, but it transferred just $2.2 million to Trump's campaign committee and about $10 million to the RNC.While the report from Trump Victory shows a fundraising operation that is beginning to step up, it continues to be vastly outpaced by his Democratic rivals. The Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee with the Democratic National Committee, raised $81.6 million and transferred $20.7 million to Clinton's campaign account.More than 62 percent of Trump Victory funds came from a group of 64 individuals and organizations that gave at least $100,000 each. High-end donors included investor and early Trump endorser Carl Icahn and his wife,Trump And RNC Raise $32 Million While Clinton And DNC Bring In $81 Millionhttp://wfae.org/post/trump-and-rnc-raise-32-million-while-clinton-and-dnc-bring-81-million
98352 as http://wfae.orgSat, 16 Jul 2016 18:52:00 +0000Trump And RNC Raise $32 Million While Clinton And DNC Bring In $81 MillionPeter OverbyForeign money in American politics. The phrase suggests secret payments, maybe briefcases stuffed with cash, or dinners of fine food and oblique conversation.Or spam."Mr. Speaker, members of Parliament are being bombarded with electronic communications from Team Trump, on behalf of somebody called Donald Trump."Sir Roger Gale, MP, was among the hundreds of legislators, from the United Kingdom to Iceland to Australia, whose inboxes had received unwanted fundraising emails from the Trump campaign.Gale continued: "Mr. Speaker, I'm all in favor of free speech, but I don't see why colleagues on either side of the house should be subjected to intemperate spam." He asked if the House of Commons IT staff could please make it stop.Speaker John Bercow sympathized, saying he didn't consider it acceptable for members to be getting "emails of which the content is offensive."Inevitably, lawyers mobilized. The email service provider cut off Trump's email consultant, who had supplied the list. AndCitizens United Muddles What Is Legal In Trump's Foreign Money Casehttp://wfae.org/post/citizens-united-muddles-what-legal-trumps-foreign-money-case
98319 as http://wfae.orgSat, 16 Jul 2016 11:00:00 +0000Citizens United Muddles What Is Legal In Trump's Foreign Money CasePeter OverbyPresidential nominees choose vice presidential running mates for what they add to the ticket, whether it be experience or the capacity to draw votes. Here's what Mike Pence might subtract from this fall's Republican ticket with Donald Trump: an unknowable amount of campaign cash from the financial services industry.As governor of Indiana, Pence oversees state agencies that handle pension investments and municipal bonds. Federal pay-to-play rules impose harsh penalties on financial services firms if their employees solicit or make significant campaign contributions to local or state officials – such as Mike Pence.With Pence on the ticket, "it creates a significant hurdle to raising money from Wall Street firms," said campaign finance lawyer Ken Gross, whose clients include some of those firms.Pay-to-play rules hurt then-governor Rick Perry of Texas in the 2012 Republican primaries, and they helped turn nominee Mitt Romney against choosing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for ViceHow Picking Mike Pence As VP Might Cost The Trump Campaign Donationshttp://wfae.org/post/how-picking-mike-pence-vp-might-cost-trump-campaign-donations
98315 as http://wfae.orgSat, 16 Jul 2016 09:00:00 +0000How Picking Mike Pence As VP Might Cost The Trump Campaign DonationsPeter OverbyAs he has gone about reinventing presidential campaigns, Donald Trump has offered many ideas about how to finance his operation. Sometimes those ideas contradict one another. This timeline traces Trump's journey through the confusing world of campaign finance. A few things to note:Trump has paid for the majority, but not all, of his presidential campaign out of his own pocket. Trump's self-funding accounts for 72 percent of his campaign spending so far ($45.7 million in campaign loans and $63.3 million in expenditures as of May 31). Trump raised the remainder from mostly small donors.Were Trump to accept public financing, it would net his campaign $96.1 million. But Trump wouldn't be allowed to raise more money for the campaign committee beyond that. The last presidential nominee to use public funds was Republican John McCain in 2008.Trump and the Republican National Committee have two "joint fundraising committees," which organized in late May and haven't yet filed disclosure reports.Every Position Donald Trump Has Taken On How He Is Funding His Campaignhttp://wfae.org/post/every-position-donald-trump-has-taken-how-he-funding-his-campaign
98153 as http://wfae.orgThu, 14 Jul 2016 10:00:00 +0000Every Position Donald Trump Has Taken On How He Is Funding His CampaignPeter OverbyDonald Trump's fundraising operation kicked into gear last month and raised about $51 million, the campaign says in a press release. But the release offered a less than complete picture of the financial structure meant to propel the real estate developer and reality TV star to the White House.There was a glaring omission in Trump's statement: It didn't include how much cash on hand the campaign held as of June 30. On its last report to the Federal Election Commission, the Trump campaign reported holding just $1.89 million as of May 31 — versus $42.5 million reported by Hillary Clinton's campaign.The disclosure reports, with complete information for June, must be released by July 20. That's the day after the Republican convention is expected to officially nominate Trump.The release detailed sources of Trump's money: $25 million from wealthy donors, $22 million from small donors and online givers, and nearly $4 million from Trump himself. That brings his personal campaign spending toDonald Trump Raises $51 Million In June But Details Are Hazyhttp://wfae.org/post/donald-trump-raises-51-million-june-details-are-hazy
97720 as http://wfae.orgWed, 06 Jul 2016 21:14:00 +0000Donald Trump Raises $51 Million In June But Details Are HazyPeter OverbyThree-year-old allegations of political influence at the Internal Revenue Service are being revived as two House committees move toward punishing the IRS commissioner, John Koskinen.The House Oversight Committee this week voted on party lines to censure Koskinen. The House Judiciary Committee holds its second hearing next week on whether to impeach him."This all started with the IRS using its authorities to target certain conservative groups for their beliefs," Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said in prepared testimony to the Judiciary panel.This has been the accusation against the IRS since 2013, when Lois Lerner — head of the office that reviewed applications for tax-exempt status — admitted that the agency put additional scrutiny into the applications for nonprofit tax status of conservative and Tea Party groups.Since the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, politically active nonprofit groups have proliferated. The nonprofit tax status shields suchCourt Documents Show The IRS Focused Scrutiny On Conservative Groupshttp://wfae.org/post/court-documents-show-irs-focused-scrutiny-conservative-groups
96604 as http://wfae.orgFri, 17 Jun 2016 19:19:00 +0000Court Documents Show The IRS Focused Scrutiny On Conservative GroupsPeter OverbyNo other major party presidential candidate has ever made it through primary season financing a campaign the way Bernie Sanders has. The Vermont senator and self-described Democratic socialist did not throw swanky receptions to court donors who could write $2,700 checks, the limit allowed by law. Nor did Sanders encourage wealthy friends to launch a superPAC funded with unlimited contributions.Instead, he relied on donors who gave small amounts online, over and over.An unusual and recurring element of Sanders' boisterous rallies has been the recitation of the finance report. That's when Sanders boasts of the millions of individual contributions his campaign received, with the crowd roaring, "Twenty-seven dollars!" — the average donation amount, and a remarkably low number in campaign finance circles."What is revolutionary about that," Sanders said at a rally last month in Kentucky, "is we have shown the world that we can run a winning national campaign without being dependent onWill The Millions Of People Who Gave Money To Bernie Sanders Give To Democrats?http://wfae.org/post/will-future-candidates-be-able-raise-money-sanders-way
96453 as http://wfae.orgWed, 15 Jun 2016 20:28:00 +0000Will The Millions Of People Who Gave Money To Bernie Sanders Give To Democrats?Peter OverbyPresidents and leading presidential candidates often arrange their financial affairs to prevent the appearance of financial conflicts of interest. But there's never been a major party nominee quite like Donald Trump. If he's elected president, he would bring to the White House a unique potential for conflicts of interest. The typical tool in such situations is a blind trust, but given Trump's unique circumstances, a blind trust might not be up to the task of preventing him from profiting from decisions he would make as president.What sorts of conflicts might Trump have? On taxes, the self-described multibillionaire is on record pledging tax cuts for the wealthy. He unsuccessfully fought green energy — a wind-turbine farm — offshore from a Trump golf course in Scotland, arguing that it would wreck the view. Trump-branded properties in other countries — including a luxury golfing club in Dubai, with a second one under development, plus hotels and high-rises in Istanbul, Panama City,4 Questions About Donald Trump's Potential Conflicts Of Interest If He's Electedhttp://wfae.org/post/if-elected-president-would-trump-put-his-investments-blind-trust
96081 as http://wfae.orgThu, 09 Jun 2016 10:18:00 +00004 Questions About Donald Trump's Potential Conflicts Of Interest If He's Elected